The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-05

| his hangeTs-on and thugs. put in an ap-
I pearance. All were armed Ia the teeth
/ with shooting irons. Kelly was handed
7 a pi-tol-the testimony ON this point il
/ understood Ia be somewhat contradic-
tory-and facing the circus men he said
/ To them that they could not drive him
! away. a. lac had come Ia STAY.
Ii was at this time that Charles Kelly
I put III an appearance upon the scene.
Seeing that hi, brother was i'm trouble.
/ hr walked up. presumably with the in
| tention of making peace. if po-Sible. Be
/ fore he could say anything. Ame~ rushed
! up Ia the kellyS. and pointing his der
/ ringer at them said he would blow h
I out of them.
| Then the firing begun.
! The testimony in tine trials which fol
! lowed showed that IL was absolutely I'M
4 possible To tell who fired first shot. Sey
/ eral shots were fired IN rapid succession
/ and then there Wa, general fusilade.
/ This lasted probably fifteen or twenty
( seconds, and when the smoke cleared
/ away it was found that Ames had been
/ Shot through III" stomach. "" died the
next day.
! An innocent bystander was also a
/ victim Ia the inevitable stray bullet
/ During the melee David oxford. a
/ brntlIer-in-law of the man Russell. over
whom the row started. was standing
! within the side show entirely out Of
sight of the shooting. He was struck
/ 10y a bullet and KILLED. Whether the
bullet which killed him came from the
1 pistol, of one of th" fighter, outside or
/ whether he was deliberately murdered
/ 10y some one of the circus men has never
/ been determined. At the time of his
/ death Russell was standing 10y his side.
4 Russell testified that lac heard the bullet
/ strike Oxford. and looking up. saw the
/ Snowman with whom he RUSSELL had
/ had the first alteration standing in the
| doorway of the tent pointing "A smoking
/ pistol toward oxford.
one thing which the testimony on this
| paint did develop was that il was imuos-
/ >Ible for either of the kellys To have
killed Oxford for the reason that they
were shooting ia Il ,outherly direction.
while oxford was standing little north
| of west of him.
Several trials followed.
The Kelly brothers We're indicted for
the murder Of Ames, and upon the trial
! of the case were acquitted. They were
| then indicted for the murder of Oxford.
and Gov. Bullock employed special coun-
! sci -. ID. lrNIn, to prosecute the ease.
/ which he did with such vigor that lac
! succeeded IN conVicting the brothers of
/ manslaughter. the conviction being based
| upon the general proposition of law that
! were there unlawfully. and if homi-
/ eide was committed upon the person of
/ an innocent bvstander. they were guilty
of involuntary manslaughter in the com
mission of an unlawful act.
/ The jury returned it, verdict early
/ Sunday morning. and at about - o'clock
! the kellyS walked out of the Jail in which
/ they had been confined and easily made
/ their eacalt. The streets of Dawson
3 4. III
! the two men well. but they were not in
| terfered with at all. On the contrary
/ the people took an interest in their wei
/ fare. and all whom they met wished
| them God speed.
! Governor Bullock offered "A reward of
/ 5000 for their arrest. I'm those days 500
/ was a big sum to the average citizen of
| Dawson. and many doubtless needed the
| money. hut although almost every body
, knew the whereabouts of the refugees.
none would give any information tend
| ing to lead To- their capture.
The strange part of the story is that
relating To their life since that time.
They made their way to Florida and
settled in the northern part. near the
Georgia line. There they have since
| lived. and both have risen to Ice among
| the most prominent men in that State.
John Kelly Is now Hon. John Kelly, one
of the leading members of FlOrida's Leg
| iSlature. He was one of the most prom
| inent figures in the work of reclaiming
| Florida from carpet bag rule, and plac-
| ing her back in Democratic ranks. For
several years he has represented his
county in the State Legislature. and has
always filled Offices Of trust and honor
! with such fidelity that the people of his
county place implicit faith in him. John
| Kelly il recognized as Gov. Perry right
| hand man. and he is on intimate terms
with such men as eX-Speaker X. w. Da-
| Wis. Congressman Davidson and Dough-
/ erty. and all men of prominence in the
/ State.
Charles Kelly has not risen To such
political prominence as that attained bv
his brother. but it has been from Lack of
inclination rather than from lack of OPP
portunity. He is at present Chairman of
| the Democratic Executive Committee of
his district. and Chairman of the Board
of County Commissioners of his county.
I'm politics he is recognized as a thorough
| worker and in business ranks with Flor
lila : best men.
! Both men ENJOY the esteem and con
| hdence of the people of Taylor county.
and are highly respected by all who know
/ them.
Although they have lived within "A
/ few miles of the Georgia line. and have
J paid frequent visits To their old home in
/ Dawson, they have never been molested.
/ Realizing that despite their prominence.
/ they were nominally fugitives from
Georgia justice. they have naturally felt
that they would like Ia have the odiuIn
removed. For long time the vast ma
| iority of the people of Terrell County
have felt that a great injustice had been
| done these two men, and at the Novem-
ber term of the Superior Court. last fall,
movement looking To a pardon tor them
1 va, begun.
The movement was begun ~ the
4 members of the grand Jury. all of whom
: signed the petition for pardon. Similar
petition, We're signed bv all the members
of the Terrell County bar. by the
solicitor general. all the county officers.
and about ~ of the best citizens of Ter
rell County. Ii il said that of all the
! persons asked to sighn such petition
not one refused
These petitions were reinforced by "A
| personal letter from Judge ID. II. Har-
rell. who presided at the trial. and by
| special petitions signed 10y all the mem
bers of the juries which tried the Kellys.
These papers We're filed in Gov. Cor
dom office sometime i'm February and
have since been under his consideration.
To the friends who presented the matter.
the Governor said he would take no az
tion whatever until the two men gave
themselves mp To the State authorities.
THE NEW RAILROAD DEAL.
Bt.h and E..I II.n tai IA. nj